Kind

You have to make a choice. A choice to be kind. Each and every day. A choice to be kind to those who may not ever have been kind to you.  A choice to be kind to those that seem to go out of their way to hurt you. A choice to be kind when all you know is that kindness will never be extend to you.

My mom was powerhouse force to be reckoned with. I like to joke that she was me X 10. And that is lot!  She loved people, loved talking, loved putzing around, loved good deals and loved to serve others.  She loved life.  When someone lives their life in such a manner, where they are always are smiling, always have a story to tell, always want to do new things and explore, it can be too much. Too much to take in and deal with.  Because of my mom's larger than life personality, other people often just felt overwhelmed. When they were overwhelmed, they would push her away, create distance and even made fun of her behind her back.  I saw this. I witnessed this and was making mental notes. 

These mental notes that I kept didn't include all the ways I thought my mom should change.  They included all the ways to be kind to other people when they tend to be rude and judge. My mother never needed to make any changes.  The other people needed to change how they treated people.  Change how they chose to be so petty and judgmental and rude to my mom who did nothing other than love people.

My mom and I once had a conversation late in her life about what it felt like to have people believe she was a piece of work.  She smiled and met my eye, "Kace, (she always called me Kace) I don't often think about it. I know there are people in this world that were meant to be my friend, and that there are people that are not.  But I also know that is okay.  I don't need to be friends with everyone.  But I do need to be kind to everyone."

That simple statement. I do need to be kind to everyone. Kind. Everyone.  No matter what the other person does or says, be kind.  Choose to be kind and love other people.  Because you will never regret being kind.